If you are singing Carols tonight, this one is for you!

Severe gales are continuing to hit our region and current conditions are expected to continue into this evening. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary is still advising people not to travel and a severe weather warning will be in place until 9pm on Thursday 8th December.

Chief Constable Patrick Shearer commended the response from the public so far, he said, ‘This is one of the first occasions we have had a level four warning which specifically asks motorists not to drive. We understand the inconvenience and disruption this causes but I would thank communities throughout the region for working with us to keep the roads as safe as possible and for sharing information local to their area. Driving conditions throughout the evening will continue to be difficult and communities again asked to avoid driving wherever possible.’

Communities in our region are being affected with some areas experiencing power cuts and there is potential for further outages throughout the evening. If you experience a power cut it is likely you will be without power overnight and everyone in the area should make a plan.

Everyone in the area is being encouraged to cook a hot meal if they have

power, have candles and battery operated torches ready and keep an eye out for their neighbours, particularly elderly or vulnerable neighbours to ensure they are managing to keep warm. If you are in an area without power and have a gas cooker you may be able to supply neighbours with hot food and drink. This advice should only be taken up if it is safe to do so. If you currently have power you should to charge your mobile telephone now in case of an emergency later on in the evening.

The Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Council Gavin Stevenson commented, ‘We have been working with all agencies across our region to minimise the impact of this severe storm which has taken hold across Scotland. We have a number of communities without power this evening and are working with Scottish Power to restore these homes as quickly as possible. Our schools will be open as normal tomorrow morning and parents should check local circumstances by using our Council website calling us on 030 33 33 3000 or by tuning into local media.’

For the most up to date information you should tune into local radio, if your power goes out plan ahead and use battery operated or car radios if available or check www.dumgal.gov.uk/readydg.

If you have any concerns you should contact our Council Call Centre on 030 33 33 3000.

For more details on the severe weather warnings go to:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html

Police are making enquiries into the theft f a substantial amount of money from an elderly lady at a house in Eastriggs on Tuesday 6 December 2011. At around 1400 or thereabouts the 77 year old lady answered the door at her home in Pretoria Road to the following described man who said that she required urgent attention to the roof of her house. The man was given access to the house and when he left the money was found to be missing. The man entered a white coloured van, not further described and drove off. There may have been a passenger in the van at the time. The man is described only as having short brown bushy hair, and was wearing grey trousers and a grey jacket.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area at that time to get in touch if they saw anything suspicious. In particular they want to hear from anyone who may have had a similar call from this man on the pretence of carrying out repair work to their home. The importance of never letting anyone into your home without seeing some form of identification cannot be over stressed.

Anyone with any information on this is asked to contact police on 0845 600 5701 or any police officer. Information can also be left with the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court. Crime prevention advice can be found on our police website www.dg.police.uk

All schools across Dumfries and Galloway will not be opening today (8th December) due to the severe weather forecasted.

Severe gales are expected to hit Dumfries and Galloway around 10am on Thursday 8 December. Gusts of up to 90mph are expected and a severe weather warning will be in place until 6am on Friday 9 December.

Winds will increase during Thursday morning with severe gales developing across many northern and central parts of the UK. Heavy rain and hill snow are additional hazards that will accompany the gales. Police are advising that conditions for travel will be extremely poor and that travellers are likely to experience significant delays.

To avoid the need for people to travel, Dumfries and Galloway Council has cancelled the 3 committee meetings due to take place on Thursday 8 December:

;Audit & Risk Management Committee; Police, Fire & Rescue Committee; Stewartry Divisional Licensing Board.

The risk of disruption is considered highest across central and southern Scotland. Winds should tend to ease from the west on Thursday night with the severe gales becoming confined to NE Scotland by the early hours of Friday. As it isn’t possible to exactly predict weather conditions, the exact location of the most damaging winds is still uncertain. If you have to travel, please check the latest forecasts before setting off.

During severe and extreme weather incidents you can get up to date information on weather, river and road conditions from:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/uk_forecast_warnings.html

http://www.readyscotland.org/

http://trafficscotland.org/

http://www.sepa.org.uk/

Hello,

Santa here, brrr, very cold here and windy too.  I heard your weather forecast last night over the internet and you have a very windy day today.  Keep safe!!

I got a letter from Ali Donowho in Dumfries.  Apparently he has been a very good boy in 2011 so we have some good presents for you young Ali.  The elves tell me there’s some lovely gold wrapping paper and red ribbons.  You are a very lucky boy!

Mrs Claus likes to take care of me and this morning she has made me two rolls in scrambled egg.  Yum!!! 

Today the Elves replace the ski runners on the sleigh.  Rudolph, Donner and Blitzen all say they were not running well so we have our wonderful Elves working on it.  Infact I can hear them hammering at the moment.

Best go and have my rolls.  Oh Mrs Claus..thank you!!

Bye for now and a bigger blog tomorrow, Scrambled egg here I come!

Love

Santa xxx

We apologise for the interruption to our live streaming service which ocurred this morning, which was due to remote server problems outside our control.

Everything is back to normal now.

Well, you ain’t heard a Christmas song sung like this before!

Police report a crash has just happened on the A75 just west of Newton Stewart at Barskeoch.

A lorry and a 4 x 4 are involved and police report that the road is very dangerous in that area because of ice which has formed on falling sleet and snow. Police are in attendance and it may be that diversions will be put in place. Motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible, and to take care if caught up in the traffic.

Hello, Santa here again,

Now what a busy day.  We were listening to lots of Jive Bunny (the Elves like it!) so the time passed quickly and we got a lot of toys finished today.  Having our tea break last night about 5.3o we heard Mark Smith on your Alive Radio play Jive Bunny so the Elves insisted on hearing it played in the workshops today.

I have recieved the first letters posted at the Loreburne Centre in Dumfries.  I can see you have been good boys and girls and you were so polite in your letter, we will make sure you get some wonderful presents young Tom and Natalie.

Time for more chimney climbing exercises again!  Considering I am very very very very old, I really should be taking it easy.  But I do like to see smiling childrens faces so I really must continue making and delivering presents.  It’s fun too!

Oh, well back to the exercises. Oh, Mrs Claus has made some lovely cakes.  One won’t hurt will it?

Love

Santa

Santa requested this.  Ooh the power he wields!!